Everton forward Thierno Barry has missed more clear-cut chances than any other player in the Premier League this season, according to data from Football Insider.
The France international has failed to convert 10 clear opportunities, twice as many as the players sharing second place in the standings. Erling Haaland of Manchester City, Manchester United’s Bryan Mbeumo, Dan Ndoye of Nottingham Forest, Brentford striker Igor Thiago and Fulham’s Gonzalo Garcia have each missed five.
That leaves Barry with as many missed chances as two of those players combined, creating a sizeable gap at the top of an unwanted list.
A statistic with two sides
The figure does not necessarily point to a lack of quality in front of goal. Haaland’s presence among the leading players for missed chances is no surprise given the number of opportunities he regularly creates for himself.
The more often a forward finds himself in scoring positions, the more likely he is to miss some of them. The same applies to Mbeumo, Ndoye, Igor Thiago and Gonzalo Garcia, all of whom are attacking players who frequently arrive in dangerous areas.
For Barry, however, the waste carries greater significance at Everton. A side that creates fewer chances has less room for missed opportunities than a team such as Manchester City. A poor finish or a lost one-on-one can be particularly costly when chances are limited, potentially turning a dropped point into a damaging result in the table.
There is nevertheless an encouraging aspect to the statistic. Barry is consistently reaching the positions where goals are scored, whether in the penalty area or at the end of attacking moves. A player cannot miss 10 clear chances without first getting into 10 clear scoring positions.
Finishing can be improved through training and experience, while a natural sense of movement and positioning is more difficult to develop. Barry’s ability to appear in the right place therefore offers Everton a reason to remain positive despite his current record.
Waiting for the breakthrough
The key question is when the chances will begin to count. Forwards who regularly get into scoring positions but fail to convert them can often change their fortunes quickly. Once the first finishes start to go in, confidence can follow and the same opportunities may produce a very different return.
Barry currently leads the Premier League for missed clear-cut chances, but his goals tally could yet begin to rise at a similar pace. The challenge is to ensure this unwanted statistic becomes no more than a difficult early memory.
Everton will play their seventh matchday fixture of the English league season against Chelsea soon.